Attendance for this week is 97.60%. 

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone enjoyed the half term break.

It has been an exciting first week at Charlton with children settling quickly into the routines. On Tuesday, the key stage two choir performed to their families; this provided pupils with an opportunity to demonstrate the skills and growing confidence they have developed over the past few weeks. Thank you to all of you who came to support.

On Thursday the Year 5 and 6 pupils visited Bletchley Park. During the educational visit, they were able to broaden their knowledge about World War II, gaining an appreciation and understanding of the importance the code breakers had in saving lives and bringing the war to an end.

I spoke to a few of the year 5 and 6 pupils about their time at Bletchley Park:

Emilia in year five had a really good time and enjoyed solving the codes and pressing all of the letters. She said it was a lot of fun.

Junior, also in year five enjoyed solving the codes and working out how to crack the Enigma machine. He thought, ‘seeing all of the artefacts was definitely the best part.’

Hope and Hannah from year six wrote a short summary which you can read later on. 

This morning I met with Edward in Year 6, who on behalf of the school council has arranged two exciting events for next week to mark Anti-Bullying week and Children in Need day. More details can be found below.

On Monday next week the school will have a remembrance assembly to recognise the sacrifice that so many men and women made for each one of us. A few children will read poems and we will have a two minute silence. Poppies are still on sale and can be purchased at the school reception.

Finally I would like to say how pleasing it has been to see so many comments appearing in the new reading records. I am looking forward to giving out the new Headteacher reading stickers on Monday acknowledging all those children who have read five or more times over the past week.

Have a great weekend.

To conclude year 5/6 ‘s work on World War 2, we had a brilliant trip to Bletchley Park.  We found out how important all the women were and we had a go on a real enigma machine.

Lately, Year 5/6 have been studying WW2 which we think was very fascinating and great. Recently, we have been on a trip to Bletchley Park and have learnt various things, mostly about the Enigma Machine which is a very famous German machine used in WW2 to send coded messages.

Firstly, we all had a tour around the grounds and we saw the huge mansion (pictured below) that everyone went into to sign a secrecy paper. Back then you were never allowed to tell anyone about the work that you were doing. The tour was very interesting.

After that we all went to the workshop and worked with a person called Olivia who taught us all about the Enigma Machine and how to decode the Germans messages. We also got taught how to write in morse code which was really fun!

Then we all had lunch and later went to explore the park, which was very big. We saw that most of the huts that people worked in WW2 were knocked down.

There were thousands of people who worked at Bletchley Park and we learnt that if it weren't for them war would have continued for another 2 years!

We all had an amazing day!

RECEPTION ADMISSION SEPTEMBER 2020

From 1^st November 2019 we are accepting applications for Reception entry in September 2020 (see Key Admission Dates attached).  Parents should be encouraged to apply online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/primaryadmissions as this is the most secure way of applying, but if parents cannot access the online process, we do have a paper form , which you can see below.

Starting School Brochures are no longer being printed, but all the information contained in the Brochure is available on our admissions website.

The closing date of Reception applications is 15^th January 2020, and the National offer date is 16^th April 2020.  The 15^th January closing date is extremely important, as late applications will not be considered until May 2020 after the first offers have been made.  Parents who make a late application are less likely to be offered a place at one of their preferred schools. 
The details of the admissions process is widely advertised in Doctors Surgeries, Libraries, Parish Councils, and made available to the 2,500 subscribers to the OCC Early Years Newsletter.

Thank you.

- Tuesday 12th November is Odd Socks' Day in aid of Kidscape (Charity which helps with Bullying) for Anti-Bullying Week. The chidren can wear odd socks in return for a donation up to £1.00

- Friday 15th November is Children in Need and the children are allowed to wear Pyjamas for the day (with warm layers underneath please, so the children don't get cold!) in return for a donation up to £1.00

- F1 to Yr6 trip to "Beauty & the Beast" at the Oxford Playhouse : 10th December 2019

Please can you ensure that you fill in the Form from Kuwanda and send your payment to the office before the 22nd November. Thank you.

- All school, Christmas Lunch: 17th December 2019

The Form was sent to you via email before half term so please can you ensure that you filled it otherwise your child might miss out on the option that he/she wants. Thank you.

Please note that the Final CAST session for Term 2 will be on Tuesday 17th Dec. 

There will be no provision for After School Club on Wednesday or Thursday that week.

The Singing & Multisports Clubs will run until the week starting 9th Dec but not the last week of term.

Mr Griffin's football club will run until the end of November. The last session will be on Thursday 28th.

ALL THE CLUBS ARE UP AND RUNNING AGAIN THIS HALF TERM and PARENTPAY IS NOW SET UP FOR PAYMENT.

“Dear Parents,

The children will be going home today with the photo proofs so please return completed photo order forms to the school office by Monday the 18th of November to qualify for free return to school for collection for your prints. Similarly online orders completed before the 18th of November will, once made, be returned to school for free.

Online orders can be placed by following the link on my website at:
http://www.itphoto.co.uk/galleries/school-portraits/ and using the unique access code on your proof card. Please do log in online, even if you do not plan to place an online order, as extra images taken of your children are available online and extra products are listed too.

Orders can still be placed after the 18th but P&P charges will apply.
Many thanks, Ian Taylor Photography.”

The Harvest Auction was a great success. Run jointly between the PTA and Charlotte Devlin representing the Church. We raised £2,800 to be split 50:50 between the Church and the School.  It was an amazing amount of money raised and thanks to the generosity of parents, villagers and of course Mike and Imogen North at the Nut Tree Inn for not only hosting but also offering two fantastic lots.  Generous lots were also donated by school parents and teachers including an amazing flight for three over Otmoor, a fantastic American hamper, ironing and babysitting services, Pony Care Day for two as well as lots of wine, cakes etc.  Thank you to those parents for your generosity and support.

School Cookbook  **COMPETITION** to design the cover of the School Cookbook.  We have extended the deadline for entries to this competition.  All entries should be submitted to the school office by Monday 11^th November at 9am.  We have a great prize of art supplies which Mr Griffin will present during assembly, so encourage your children to get creative over the weekend and good luck.

Christmas Cards – look out for your child’s Christmas card design in bookbags.  If you would like to order them do so online directly with the company, instructions are with the pictures.

Bingo – booking forms for Family Bingo will come out next week to be held on Friday 22^nd November.  It’s a really fun evening for all the family and a great opportunity to socialise with other parents and for those new to the school to meet people.

Cherwell Lottery www.CherwellLottery.co.uk The school association now has a page on this site. Go onto the site and find our page, purchase a lottery ticket naming the school as the charity you wish to support.

AGM The Charlton School Association AGM was held last Wednesday.  Minutes will be posted on the PTA page of the school website in due course.  Michelle and Tina were re-elected as Chair and Secretary respectively and Becky Hodgins as Treasurer.  Midge stepped down having been Treasurer for the last 4 years doing an amazing job but will stay on the committee along with other members Ceri Fraehmos, Laura Griffin, Holly Cooper, Alex Royer, Ali Walters and Vicky Styler.  If you weren’t able to come to the AGM and would like to find out more about the PTA please contact us via the playground, office or email mailto:Charltonschoolassociation@gmail.com   or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/149362305695629/

Upcoming Events, Save the Dates
Friday 22nd November – Family Bingo evening
Friday 6^th December – No School uniform day in return for a bottle for the Christmas Bazaar
Saturday 14^th December – Christmas Bazaar
Wednesday 18^th December – Carols and mulled wine at the Church

Please find some information below about the Oxfordshire County Music Service and what they have to offer to young people.